Coming Soon

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

We spent last week talking about what it means to me to be Out of the Boat. (If you missed it, you can read about it here).

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to someone who got out of the boat, or in her case, out of the country, and followed the call of God to a remote village in Guatemala. My dear friend Marcia Moston's book, Call of a Coward - The God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife, will be released on August 7th. I want you to meet Marcia, but first...a little backstory.

If you've followed this blog for over a year, you may recall that I reviewed Call of a Coward in July of 2011. What happened next is the kind of thing that should be impossible...unless you happen to believe in a God who does all sorts of impossible things.

Marcia's story, Call of a Coward, won the 2010 Women of Faith contest that included a self-publishing package with Westbow Press. The book went to print, Marcia began the not-so-fun but oh-so-necessary process of promoting her book, and then things got...well...the impossible happened.

One month after the book came out, Thomas Nelson offered her a contract (and if you don't follow publishing, let me just say that this is HUGE). It's been a roller-coaster kind of year for Marcia as everything went on hold while Thomas Nelson worked their magic. (I personally think she should write a book on the adventure of following God through the crazy world of publication).

And now, a year later, the book is going to show up on store shelves all over the country and I'm so excited to see what God is going to do ... if it's anything like what He's already done, it's going to be awesome!

So now, let's meet Marcia and read a few excerpts from Call of a Coward - the God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife.

Q:Tell us
about yourself.

A: Although
I hold degrees in sociology and Christian education, most of what
I’ve learned has been by the proverbial seat of my pants. I’ve
taught English in a Christian high school, worked with orphans in a
Mayan village, led mission teams to Central America, delivered
Yellowbooks, stuffed vending machines, and lived in everything from
tepees to parsonages.

I love to share the stories and lessons I’ve learned along the way
about what a very real God can do with the smallest of our offerings.
My first and most dear word from the Lord is Be still and know
that I am God—Psalm 46:10.

Q: What do you
hope readers will glean from your story, Call of a
Coward-the God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife?

A: A
fresh confidence in the Living One Who Sees Them. A sense of
expectancy in encountering him. Both the story and its path to
publication are examples of the possibilities of an ordinary life in
the hands of an extraordinary God. I hope readers will be inspired
and encouraged that whether they travel a thousand miles or a
thousand feet, God can do exceedingly more than they imagine.

Q:Tell
us about Call of a
Coward-the God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife.

A: It’s
about laying aside your hopes, dreams, and fears to follow God even
though where He’s leading seems to require credentials you lack and
courage you don’t think you have. And about discovering just how
personal and gracious He is. Here’s my opening:

The
problem with promising God you’ll follow Him wherever He leads is
that you just might have to go.

I suspect it would be easier if you were certain of His calling—like
stepping out the door and seeing the lilac bush on fire and
hearing a voice commanding you. But when it’s your husband who is
delivering the message—well, that leaves a little room for wonder.

At
least that’s how I felt when my husband rocked my comfortable
middle-class afternoon with his belief God was calling us to
pack up and move to a Mayan village in Guatemala.

(Lynn here: I've added in another excerpt because one is not enough and because this gives you a feel for how beautifully Marcia writes...I dare you to read this and not squeeze the arms of whatever chair you're sitting in...)

The
road exceeded my worst expectations. Cliffs rose straight up on one
side and plunged
straight down on the other. The dusty, rutted trail between the two
was wide enough
for one vehicle. It was one thing to ride a scary road with a husband
you could yell
at; it was another to ride a scarier road with a stranger who said
with the same equanimity,
“There’s a good view from the overlook up ahead,” and “The
brakes are bad,
that’s why I have to pump them.”

Hernando
downshifted, pumped the screeching brakes and entered the river. I
couldn’t decide
whether to look ahead at the slippery rocks on the steep bank, look
behind from where
we had safely come, or simply bury my head in my lap. If I needed a
sign from God,
this was it. I decided there was no way I could ride this road to go
shopping, to get our
mail, to find a doctor, to do anything─
ever. When, and if, I met up with Bob in the village,
I was going to have to tell him so.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

As I mentioned on Monday, this week I'm taking some time to answer a frequently asked question.

Why did you name the blog Out of
the Boat?

I'm going to answer by revisiting a
couple of blog posts that were written in April of 2010 when this blog was just
a baby, and when I couldn't say "I'm a writer" without turning red and
stammering over the words. (If you missed Monday's post, you might want to read it here first).

Some things have changed in the past two years, but
one thing hasn't.

I'm still
Out of the Boat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Out of the Boat - Part 2 (from April 2010)

I have a very active
imagination.

I know what you're thinking . . . "Yeah, we sorta
figured that out ever since you admitted that you've been walking around with
detailed, novel length stories in your head. You're a
loon."

True. I take full responsibility for my own
weirdness.

But, I find having a very active imagination to be a
gift. When I read verses like Eph. 3:20 where it says that God is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine . . . well, I
think . . . whoohoo! Bring it! 'Cause this girl can imagine some pretty amazing
scenarios!!

So I started wondering about the other disciples in the boat.

There they are, the twelve, thinking this might be their last night because they
are losing the fight. Jesus shows up, walking across the rolling seas.

And
Peter. I do love Peter. Talk about a man with an imagination. I mean, really!
Where did he come up with this? "If you are who you say you are, ask me to come
to you on the water." What kind of question is that? But that's not really the
point of this post - that's a freebie!

Sometimes I find the things
Scripture doesn't tell us as interesting as what it does. We have no idea what
the eleven guys in the boat did while Peter was tiptoeing over the waves. But
our own experience gives us some good ideas.

So picture it.
Imagine it was you in the boat. And your buddy starts climbing out. What would
you do?

"Peter! Don't!" Frightened hands reaching to
restrain him.

"I always knew he'd do something stupid and get himself
killed. He just doesn't think." Deep sigh.

"Show off." Eyes
rolling.

"Who does he think he is? He can't walk on water. He's
always been a bit arrogant but really, this is taking it to extremes. When he
goes down, we're all going to get wet trying to save his sorry self."
Righteous indignation.

I find it interesting that while the account of
Jesus walking on the water is found in Matthew, Mark, and John, only Matthew
records Peter's part in the drama. I wonder if John was embarrassed that he
didn't think of it first. I know . . . I know . . . Scripture is inspired and
clearly God wanted Matthew to tell the story. I get it. Just work with me
here!

Maybe Matthew was the one who was most jealous. Or most impressed.
Keep in mind, they all heard Jesus. They knew Jesus had called Peter to come.
They didn't just have to take his word for it. But still . . . he got out of a
boat. In the middle of a storm.

I have some friends who are "out
of the boat" - and in far more spectacular ways than me.

An
acquaintance at church who, even though she has young children at home, has
opened up her home and heart to foster children in need. I am blown away by
that! I'm not sure I could do it.

A dear friend who, even though it makes
absolutely no sense to most people, has put her home on the market. Why? They
are downsizing their lives so they can be better positioned to go on short term
missions trips. To Africa! With the whole family! I've known this girl for
years. She's been a faithful and dear friend, but it was only a few months ago
when she said "I've always had a heart for Africa." Really? I had NO IDEA.

I could go on. I know of two others who are serving on foreign fields.
Single. No real hope of ever marrying. But they felt the call and they answered
it.

And the biggest question they hear is "Why?" And sadly, when they
say, "Because I felt called to do it" people often look at them like they've
lost their minds.

I've wondered about my own reactions. When I hear of
someone who is living their life, totally and completely sold out to Christ.
Willing to take whatever steps they feel him calling them to take. Even if it
seems nuts. Have I looked down my nose? "Don't they know what this will do
to their children?" Questioned the timing? "Maybe that would be fine in
a few years, but now?" Wondered what their decision might cost me?
"They are so selfish - I'll have to pick up the slack."

No, we
don't have the benefit of hearing the call ourselves. But maybe we should
remember that for the one who is called, there is only one
option.

Getting out of the boat made NO SENSE!

But
getting out of the boat was the ONLY thing that made sense.

Because Jesus said, "Come."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next week, I'll be sharing with you the new schedule for Out of the Boat, and the rationale behind my new tagline, "Living Where Fear and Faith Collide." I hope you'll join me on the journey.

Monday, July 23, 2012

In honor of my 200th blog post, I've been fiddling with the blog. If you're reading this in a reader or on a mobile device you may not see anything different, but I'm trying to spruce things up around here. I'm also in the process of renewing my focus for Out of the Boat and revamping the schedule, but we'll talk more about that in August.

For this week, I want to answer a question that I get asked with some frequency.

Why did you name the blog Out of the Boat?

I'm going to answer by revisiting a couple of blog posts that were written in April of 2010 when this blog was just a baby, and when I couldn't say "I'm a writer" without turning red and stammering over the words. Some things have changed in the past two years, but one thing hasn't.

I'm still Out of the Boat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Out of the Boat - Part 1

Matthew
14: 27-30 - But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do
not be afraid." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come
to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked
on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and
beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me."

I guess I
didn't exactly jump out of the boat. It was more like a tumble (I'm not known
for being graceful). But regardless, I'm out of the boat.

And I
am freaking out about it.

Bless Peter. I'm so glad he's in the
Bible. I love him. I love that he had a big mouth and a big temper and that he
blew it - frequently and spectacularly. And I'm thrilled that God used Peter and
we all can smile when we read about Peter's antics in the gospels, because we
know how the story turns out. How Peter became a bold and courageous apostle.
How he lived - and died - for Christ.

But today, I'm thinking
about how Peter freaked out.

The man got out of the boat. Of his
own free will, he stepped out of a perfectly good boat and onto water. Water!
And he walked on it. We don't know how far he walked before he realized what he
had done. Maybe it was a few steps. Maybe 50 yards. But regardless, Jesus called
him and he obeyed. And then he totally lost it.

For the past week or so,
I've been freaking out quite a bit, once a
day, OK fine. A lot. We'll leave it at that.

For me, getting
out of the boat has more to do with telling people I'm a writer than the actual
writing. Because now that people know . . . what do they expect? Will I be
explaining to people five years from now, ten years from now, that 'yes, I'm
still writing but no, I haven't been published'?

Was there any
reason for Peter to get out of the boat, other than to be obedient to the
call?Does it matter if I'm ever published? Maybe to my pride.
But otherwise, no. What matters is that I'm taking the next step, in obedience
to my Father.

So why am I freaking out? Because I'm a perfectionist.
Because I care way too much about what people think about me. Because I'm afraid
of going to this conference and being embarrassed by my naivety. Because I've
gotten my eyes off of my Father and on myself. Because I'm trying to do "this"
myself when I'm not even sure what "this" is. Because I'm thinking about me - me
- me.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning
to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand
and took hold of him saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
-Matthew 14: 30-31

I have no idea why Jesus wanted Peter to
get out of the boat and I have no idea why God wants me to write. But it's not
just about me. God is up to something. God is always up to something. He's that
kind of God!

And when I call out to Him, He takes hold of me and says,
"Baby, why are you doubting?"

Ps. 138:8 The LORD will fulfill
his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake
the work of your hands.

****

Credits: A friend of mine posted about how Jesus is always there for us when we've jumped, or been pushed, or went kicking and screaming, out of the boat. I've been thinking about it ever since. You can read her comments here. Thanks for the encouragement Kim!http://lovegracepeace.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/always-there/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrote these words over two years ago and I'm amazed how true they still are today. I'm living life at the place where fear and faith collide. How about you? Have you stepped out in faith and now are freaking out? Tell us where you are in the journey!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Yeah. Those are not the words you want to hear twenty minutes before the final performance of The Lion King.

But there we were, four people standing across the street from the Peace Center.

Four people.

Two tickets.

I tried not to panic as I race-walked to the ticket booth, prepared to beg the woman behind the counter.

“May I help you?”

She was so kind. But could she help?

“I don’t know. We have a serious problem. We bought four tickets, but we only have two.”

She smiled. No panic. No fear. “This is not a serious problem. We’ll have this taken care of in no time.”

As I watched her peck away at the computer in front of her, I had to ask. “Why is this not a problem?” She nodded at the screen. “Because I have all the information right here.”

In less than two minutes, my serious problem was no problem.

As relief flooded through me, I asked the angel in the ticket booth, “What’s your name?”

“Faith.”

I almost laughed out loud.

Because if you think God wasn’t chuckling in that moment, then you’ve forgotten that we are created in God’s image and He has a sense of humor.

I’ve had a lot on my plate lately. Some minor annoyances. Some serious problems. So I do what any good Christian would do.

I fall before Him and I say, “This is a serious problem.”

Of course, there’s something I don’t say (because good Christian’s know better), but it is at the heart of my fear.

I never add, “And I think it might be too big for you to fix.”

(If you need to run for cover, I’ll understand. It’s a little cloudy right now and that lightening strike may be imminent).

I’ve noticed that God never seems to be as wigged out about a situation as I am. But then, He has all the information.

He sees the entire circle of our lives.

He has the past, present, and future held securely in His hands.

I thought I was just going to The Lion King, but God used it to remind me about who He is, and what He can do.

With just a little faith.

Luke 17:5-6 ~ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (ESV)

I love it when God shows up in unexpected ways, don’t you? Has God revealed Himself in an unusual way in your life lately? I’d love to hear about it!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Here at Out of the Boat, I'm scaling back a little for July. I'll be posting once a week this month so I can spend some time focusing on my fiction writing (yeah, I'm still working on that!) and making plans for the future of Out of the Boat.

Believe it or not, today marks my 200th blog post! I love blogging far more than I ever imagined I would. Thanks to all of you who've jumped Out of the Boat and come on this crazy journey with me!

If you're a regular here, I would so appreciate it if you could take a moment and answer this question (either in the comments, on Facebook, or via email).

What would you like to see more (or less) of on Out of the Boat?Is there something I don't cover that you wish I would?

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The Write Conversation

Lynn Huggins Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Her first book, COVERT JUSTICE, won the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Her second book, HIDDEN LEGACY, releases June 2017.